Abstract
Cotton is the “natural” choice and the dominating material in bedlinen and sleepwear in Norway as in many other European countries. Regulation of temperature and humidity are important for good sleep, but not cotton’s strong points. There must have been other than the functional reasons which made cotton the winner in the bedding market. The article builds on literature about bedding in Norway from the 1800s and survey questions from 1951. We ask the question: what materials have been used and why? Wool was used in all bed textiles, both closest to the body and the layers over and under, from cheapest, chopped rags to the most costly textiles. The decline is seen throughout the 1800 and 1900s, but only in the 1960s does wool become totally absent as a next to skin bed textile. The cheap imports of cotton made cottage-industry and home production unprofitable and the new emphasis on cleanliness gave cotton a clear leverage.

 

A wool bolster, a head pillow filled with feathers, from the Sverresborg Trøndelag Folkemuseum. https://digitaltmuseum.no/021026904648/bolster

A few comments and excerpts from the article:

One of the two main sources for the article is Eilert Sundt’s book On Cottage Industry in Norway (1868). Sundt (1817-1875) was the central researcher on daily life in 19th century Norway. The paper includes many references to the use of sheepskins on beds historically. Did you ever consider how you might switch from your long-haired sheepskin in the winter to a summer fleece with shorter fleece, just like we switch out our blankets for the seasons?  From the article:

Sundt writes that it was taken into account what the pelt was to be used even before slaughter. If meant for a summer-pelt, the wool would be shorter than for winter. For lower classes, this kind of distinction was irrelevant. Wealthier households had not only two sets, but also new pelts hanging in a row in the attic, awaiting visitors. 

Bed coverings were important and valuable household items. “A bed with its bedding was in 1760 valued to 130 riksdaler at a time when a cow was worth 3 of the same currency.”

The second primary source of data for this paper was a survey done in 1951 by the Norwegian Ethnology Investigation, in which consumers were asked about beds and bedgear, “then and now.” From that survey and other sources, the authors discuss the use of sheepskins for bedding, and how their use was discontinued. Here’s a bit:

According to an informant from Telemark, the usage of pelts disappeared in the 1870s, while others tell of continued use until the Second World War. Several coverlet-owners from Røros say they slept with sheepskins every night as late as the 1960s. One clearly remembers that he was “sleeping with pelts until January 9, 1961 – it was the day he went into the military.” In an article on bedding in Hedemark, Haugen concludes that sheep skin as cover was usual until the middle of the 20th century.

Several mention lack of pelt or skin makers as the reason for the change from pelts to woven materials. Almost every village had a pelt maker in earlier times. The pelt makers prepared the skins and mounted them into a whole. “But this craft as so many others have become factory-work.”

A sheepskin maker, Per Hansson Dalåsen, in 1959. From the Norwegian Digital Library, https://digitaltmuseum.no/021016983846/skinnfellmaker

I’m glad I’ve never needed to think about the use of ants in laundry to take care of fleas.

Fleas were a common problem and kept in check by different methods. One way was to let insects (ants or water spiders) take care of the lice, e.g. by lowering the laundry into the water and let the insects feast (Sundt 1869, 242). Another way to kill the small pests was to use the heat in the sauna. Garborg recommends in the book Home Care (Garborg 1899/1922, 13) airing and beating the bedding, at a minimum once a week. She claims that “much frailty comes of sloppy care of bedding.” She believes sheep skins to be a bad thing during the summer, as well as non-removable covers on duvets and pillows.

Most people know of Fritjof Nansen as a noted polar explorer. Nansen also held firm opinions about the health benefits of wool and fresh air, as noted in a Bergen newspaper in 1883. 

Away with these cold and clammy sheets, away with these linen and simply woven covers on matrasses, pillows and duvets; instead use fabrics from wool – immerse yourself in two good woolen blankets, place wool under your head, open the window and don’t close out the fresh air; it will enhance your body’s breathing and health.

The authors conclude:

We believe that cotton took over as a fiber of choice for bed-linen, through cleanliness and price. Linen as a material had been highly valued. It demanded both a financial surplus and competence. One explanation for the quick acceptance and popularity is that it made something which was considered a luxury economically feasible. The status of the linen was transferred to cotton. 

Thanks again to Oslo Metropolitan University and the authors; Ingun Grimstad Klepp, Tone Skårdal Tobiasson, and Kirsti Laitala.  Enjoy the full article at the link below.
Robbie LaFleur 

Why Cotton as Linen? The Use of Wool Beds in Norway